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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ClearSkies on October 7, 2007, at 21:35:25
And I've learned a few things.
I love France. French people are absolutely lovely and very forgiving of people like me who try to speak their language with a grade-school level education. Patient, gracious, I managed several conversations (limited ones) entirely in French and I'm really pleased about it!
I really, really didn't like being the only person in the traveling party with the foreign language skill. I felt an enormous pressure to be the translator, to be the person ordering the food, to be the person to deal with the money... it just wore on me. The other couple didn't even make an effort to speak in French - they just spoke American and expected to be able to communicate. Grrr.
I will never, ever, go on another vacation with another couple. Ever. Too many things not to like about the experience to list, really, but here's the kicker: instead of bringing their bags up from the car to their room, at one point they were bringing up changes of clothing several times a day. That is, from a parking garage, up to the B & B. You can't make this stuff up! You should have seen them packing their luggage this morning in the middle of a one-way street! With traffic waiting, of course! You really can't pre-screen for that kind of strangeness before you travel - but all my unpleasant experiences were directly related to Those People.
All my notes about the trip - and I made them every day - are about the food!! Not a bad meal to be found. We stayed in the Cote D'Azur region mostly, but drove over to Italy for dinner one night, and stayed all too briefly in Provence, where I'd really like to go back to for an extended visit.
I missed my cat, and she seems ecstatic to see me! I missed Babble and it was very strange not to check in several times a day as I usually do. That's how I knew I was really on vacation.
ClearSkies
Posted by Phillipa on October 7, 2007, at 22:11:37
In reply to Back from vacation, posted by ClearSkies on October 7, 2007, at 21:35:25
Clear Skies glad you're back and had a great time. But lucky you weren't checking babble as it was a mess see admin for a partial description. Did you take pics? Phillipa ps only a mess yesterday.
Posted by ClearSkies on October 8, 2007, at 8:07:35
In reply to Re: Back from vacation » ClearSkies, posted by Phillipa on October 7, 2007, at 22:11:37
> Clear Skies glad you're back and had a great time. But lucky you weren't checking babble as it was a mess see admin for a partial description. Did you take pics? Phillipa ps only a mess yesterday.
Yes, loads of photos! We're going to try to organize some kind of slide show to share. I'll post a link when it's ready.
CS
Posted by Dinah on October 8, 2007, at 8:16:14
In reply to Back from vacation, posted by ClearSkies on October 7, 2007, at 21:35:25
It sounds wonderful, except for the other couple. I think I have to agree about that. My husband and I consider traveling together is a good test for whether or not a couple should marry since every flaw is exaggerated. So going with people you wouldn't consider marrying would be difficult.
From what I understand, that is a gorgeous area. A wonderful place for a get away from it all (even Babble) vacation.
Posted by antigua3 on October 8, 2007, at 8:55:45
In reply to Back from vacation, posted by ClearSkies on October 7, 2007, at 21:35:25
Funny thing, but I was just going to post to ask how you were. I missed that you were gone.
Glad to hear you had a good time, despite the other couple.
take care,
antigua
Posted by ClearSkies on October 8, 2007, at 10:10:37
In reply to Welcome back!! » ClearSkies, posted by Dinah on October 8, 2007, at 8:16:14
> It sounds wonderful, except for the other couple. I think I have to agree about that. My husband and I consider traveling together is a good test for whether or not a couple should marry since every flaw is exaggerated. So going with people you wouldn't consider marrying would be difficult.
>When we parted at the airport, they both thanked us for letting them "tag along" on our vacation. It would have been more apt to have said "weighed you down" or "completely bogged the whole trip down like a couple of gigantic boulders." When I saw the guy coming out of the parking garage with a pile of laundry, I think I might have shrieked, if only faintly. At that point, I was past caring whether he might have heard me (and he was definitely impervious to any suggestions that carrying one's luggage up to the room was an improvement on literally traipsing your dirty clothes through the parking lot).
> From what I understand, that is a gorgeous area. A wonderful place for a get away from it all (even Babble) vacation.
>
>It really was one of the loveliest parts of the world I've seen yet. Particularly Aix-en-Provence, where Cezanne lived and painted. The extraordinary colours and light made me realize that he captured them quite exactly and realistically in his paintings - breathtaking!
CS
Posted by ClearSkies on October 8, 2007, at 10:12:42
In reply to Re: Back from vacation » ClearSkies, posted by antigua3 on October 8, 2007, at 8:55:45
> Funny thing, but I was just going to post to ask how you were. I missed that you were gone.
> Glad to hear you had a good time, despite the other couple.
> take care,
> antiguaDo you know - it was only driving home from the airport that I had an overwhelming desire to drink to "get over" the stressful experience? I thought about it seriously for about an hour and then decided that it would have ruined the holiday, so I didn't. (Good choice.)
CS
Posted by antigua3 on October 8, 2007, at 13:33:21
In reply to Re: Back from vacation » antigua3, posted by ClearSkies on October 8, 2007, at 10:12:42
Posted by TexasChic on October 8, 2007, at 18:41:23
In reply to Very telling » Dinah, posted by ClearSkies on October 8, 2007, at 10:10:37
Wow! I am so insanely jealous!!! I want to travel to Europe so bad! Its sounds like you had a great time (in spite of those people). Its so cool about being where Cezanne lived and painted, and being able to connect it with his paintings like that. That's pretty awesome. I'm glad you had a good time and I'm glad you resisted the urge to drink!
-T
Posted by ClearSkies on October 9, 2007, at 14:22:05
In reply to Back from vacation, posted by ClearSkies on October 7, 2007, at 21:35:25
I think I did this right. Try this link and look at a slide show of some photos. Yes, I am the beige person in the picture!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14753600@N05/
ClearSkies
Posted by Phillipa on October 9, 2007, at 21:07:03
In reply to Photos from my holiday, posted by ClearSkies on October 9, 2007, at 14:22:05
Clear Skies the lovely lady with her leg on the wall contemplating is that you? And I see France has all those lovely little narrow streets. I did go there but it was quick. You also got the the coast and it's beautiful. What a wonderful trip. Phillipa
Posted by ClearSkies on October 10, 2007, at 8:10:24
In reply to Re: Photos from my holiday » ClearSkies, posted by Phillipa on October 9, 2007, at 21:07:03
> Clear Skies the lovely lady with her leg on the wall contemplating is that you?
Yup, the beige looking at the beige.
> And I see France has all those lovely little narrow streets.
Yup, we were driving an enormous minivan; quite a challenge but necessary because of the huge pieces of luggage we carried. It was really hair-raising at times.
> I did go there but it was quick. You also got the the coast and it's beautiful. What a wonderful trip. Phillipa
Yes, it was!
CS
Posted by Dinah on October 10, 2007, at 10:06:01
In reply to Photos from my holiday, posted by ClearSkies on October 9, 2007, at 14:22:05
Gorgeous
Posted by TexasChic on October 10, 2007, at 17:49:00
In reply to Re: Photos from my holiday » ClearSkies, posted by Dinah on October 10, 2007, at 10:06:01
Thanks so much for sharing them! Wow!
-T
Posted by annierose on October 10, 2007, at 18:30:38
In reply to Amazing photos!, posted by TexasChic on October 10, 2007, at 17:49:00
You are a very talented photographer. Every one looked a picture postcard. Beautiful ... the photos, you and sharing them.
Posted by ClearSkies on October 10, 2007, at 20:43:03
In reply to Amazing photos!, posted by TexasChic on October 10, 2007, at 17:49:00
Mr ClearSkies is the amazing photographer - I am in awe of his natural flair for it.
CS
Posted by Phillipa on October 10, 2007, at 21:13:24
In reply to Re: Amazing photos!, posted by ClearSkies on October 10, 2007, at 20:43:03
Explains why Mr. Clear Skies is in none of the photos. Do you call him Clear Skies? Phillipa
Posted by ClearSkies on October 11, 2007, at 6:22:25
In reply to Re: Amazing photos! » ClearSkies, posted by Phillipa on October 10, 2007, at 21:13:24
> Explains why Mr. Clear Skies is in none of the photos. Do you call him Clear Skies? Phillipa
No way!!
This is the end of the thread.
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